Resources
Our Voices: the experiences of people ageing without children
This report produced with the support of the Beth Johnson Foundation in 2016 highlights the individual experiences, thoughts and stories of older people who are ageing without children, a subject which previously received minimal attention in terms of research, policy and planning.
It argues that it is vital to explore why a growing number of people are entering later life without children, the impact this could have on their care and support and their feelings about the future. It also considers some potential strategies and solutions to address these challenges.
Based on feedback from 4 focus groups, interviews and a survey completed by 400 people in 2015 it identifies six key issues affecting the experience of ageing without children:
- Invisibility, feeling overlooked
- Judgement and assumptions made
- Feeling disconnected from younger generations
- Lack of practical informal support
- The challenges of being a carer which is often a trigger point
- The absence of someone to tell your story
Ageing Without Children: Working with the invisible million: a toolkit for organisations
In 2021 the National Care Forum (NCF) and AWOC launched a Toolkit written by Kirsty Woodard aimed at organisations responsible for managing and providing services for older people across the public, private and not-for-profit sectors.
The purpose of the toolkit was to help organisations particularly in the health and care sectors understand ageing without children and the impact it can have, what it means for the delivery of services and how organisations can highlight the issue both internally and externally with partners and the public.
Reports
A lonely place to be : ageing without children and the impact of the Covid19 pandemic (July 2021)
The impact of Covid19 on people ageing without children: experiences of the AWOC York group (June 2020)
Living Longer: implications of childlessness among tomorrow’s older population (Office for National Statistics, 17 August 2020)